Flight of the Chocobos
by Midnight Crow
Summary: Years after the end of the game, Zidane & Garnet's daughter puts herself between a dying Chocobo race and an unknown adversary.
1. Chapter 1

** FLIGHT OF THE CHOCOBOS**  
A Final Fantasy IX Fanfic 

Disclaimer: FFIX and its characters, places, belong to Squaresoft/Square Enix.

Summary: A second attempt on originality and interaction between story and gameplay. Rewritten because I thought it still had potential. Reposted for a fresh start. Please bear with the author.

* * *

_Prologue_

Stone after stone it withered before him, under the dull and rusty chisel reinforced by his unrelenting hand. Strike-gouge-pull. Then repeat. Never mind the weight on his back, nor the strain on his arm. It was a never-ending cycle, with fallible results. By now he was used to the sun on his back, and the dust on his face.

How long had it been since he arrived on the tiny, uninhabited island, carrying only his knowledge and a few tools to aid his quest, such as the chisel he was gripping. His arm worked like a machine, never faltering, while he searched for the answer. Finding it too strenuous to calculate days, months, and years, he pushed his pragmatic mind back into the deepest depths of his awareness and let brawn continue. More rocks piled around his feet. The work was not only strenuous, but also monotonous. Yet he survived. He had his teachers to thank for it. To him the work was similar to the hours, even days, of meditation in the temple chambers; the only difference was his body did something else, while his mind was free and undisturbed.

What was he hoping to gain? Nothing, as of now. It would all be clear after the task was finished. And what was this self-imposed task? To get rid of the wall.

The wall that separated him from his dream.

Suddenly, his whole body was ablaze. The desire to fulfill this dream almost drove him mad. It was a miracle that the chisel did not break under the pressure of it. Blindly he struck the surface of the rock, his arm a blur. He was deaf to his own gasps, groans, and cries.

He saw the light at once. A small crack, and the light that seeped out almost rendered him sightless. He fainted on the spot, on the dusty earth.

So it did exist. Yet the legends weren't all that true. He had come this far with only a humble tool, his knowledge, and his determination.

One thing was sure, however. He had found Paradise.

* * *

_One_

When little Terra came into the world, the people immediately agreed that the baby girl was one of the luckiest children in the lands of Gaia. For little Terra was born a princess, and not just an ordinary princess, but the heir to the Alexandrian throne.

The first time her parents looked at her, they vowed to be the foundation of a well-bred girl, one raised to be a ruler and yet aware of life outside the castle.

A huge celebration marked the Princess Terra's birth. Everyone in Alexandria was invited by the young king and queen, from the nobles to the "rooftop dwellers". There were also people from outside the kingdom who came, friends that the king and queen made during their younger years.

Dame Marjorie silently watched as Queen Garnet the XVII carried her firstborn tenderly, while a number of rich matrons, most hailing from Treno, crowded around the new mother and child. With her fair skin, ebony hair, and cerulean eyes, Terra was an absolute darling.

"My, my, my, would you look at the little one! Marjorie, tell me. Where have you seen a baby as beautiful as her?" one of them cooed.

The elderly dame nodded. "Garnet. She looks like you."

The queen gave her a little smile, before lovingly gazing at the babe in her arms. "Thank you. Everyone says that, although I know it isn't true. Look, she has Zidane's eyes."

"Ah, is that so? But I can feel she is destined for great things, like her mother." Marjorie replied gently.

Most people would have been shocked to hear of the queen's participation in stopping the Assimilation Project five years ago. Dame Marjorie, however, was proud to have been one of the few people who knew the truth.

King Zidane stood near his wife, entertaining the people who approached to congratulate the couple. He paused in his thanksgiving and turned to the dame. "That's not fair. Do you know how hard it is to make a baby, and I only got the eyes?"

"Zidane!" Garnet's voice was scandalized.

He laughed, blue eyes shining, and wrapped an arm around his wife's shoulders. "Don't worry, Dagger. We're in this together. Haven't we always been?"

Dame Marjorie studied the couple, and the corners of her mouth turned up.

* * *

Although many of the townspeople loved him, there was always the gossip that King Zidane "poisoned the queen's mind". Being from the streets, his position was only grudgingly accepted by the more conservative nobles. The scene he was setting in the party quite proved the rumor.

"May I start the celebration with an announcement," Zidane, looking regal in a blue silk doublet and cape, his blonde hair smoothed and brushed away from his jovial face. He stood in front of the nobles preparing for the feast, and waited for the usual chatter to dissipate.

"The heir to Alexandria will be known as Terra Alexandros Tribal."

Gasps rippled throughout the crowd. Zidane kept calm, the look on his face challenging, as if he was waiting for someone to question his declaration.

An old man, clad in a startling snowy white robe, stood up in anger, his chair clattering to the floor. Heads turned to him.

"Don't be a fool! If you name her that, she will never ascend the throne!" he protested.

More gasps. The young king met the old man's eyes. "And why would a name matter so much to the throne, Mister-"

"She _must_ be named Garnet Til Alexandros the XVIII!" The old man cried, interrupting him. "Or my name isn't Celron the-"

Zidane crossed his arms. "As I really don't understand what's the fuss about the name, I'm certainly not interested in _yours_, Mister." The chuckles that emerged from the audience were enough to turn the soothsayer's face purple. Satisfied with the reaction, Zidane continued. "Are you saying that my daughter's inheritance depends on it?" He motioned to the crowd. "Then maybe everyone who wants their daughter to be heir should name her Garnet."

"How dare you challenge the Fates!" Celron screeched. "I am a seer of Gaza! I was given with the power at the Temple at Mt. Gulug!"

"Besides, it would be hard for things at home if two of us had the same name," Zidane casually remarked, reiterating the merry reaction.

"You!" Celron started again, but a firm hand clasped his shoulder. He turned to meet the stern gaze of Captain Adelbert Steiner.

Steiner glared at him. "By the power that Alexandria has bestowed upon me, I demand that respect be given to the king and queen…" He moved closer and the Celron visibly shook, "…and punishment be granted to those who refuse to offer it." He gestured to the two Pluto Knights beside him. "Throw him out."

When the clamor finally died down, Garnet stood up from her seat.

"She will be named Terra." The queen declared with a final note to it. The nobles, sensing it, returned to their feasting, quietly accepting it.

And the people shrugged. "But why Terra?"

* * *

The Alexandrian throne room was a splendid room, with red carpeting and a chandelier of gold and diamond lighting the place. Here, time was given to a few special people to enjoy the company of the royal family. Regent Cid Fabool and Lady Hilda of Lindblum were accompanied by a twelve-year-old Eiko Carol, who dashed across several feet of carpet to greet her friends.

"Zidane! Dagger!" Eiko yelled. Her cream lace frock got in her way, however, making the young girl stumble.

Zidane's smile was genuine as he caught her. "Eiko!" He put her back on her feet, ignoring the pink glow on her face. "Cid! Lady Hilda!"

"I would appreciate it, Your Majesty, if a little regard to my name was given?" The regent sighed, knowing that he would never get it from Zidane.

"You're too hard on me," Zidane teased. "How about this? I call you Regent, and you just call me Zidane."

"It's good," Cid agreed, a twinkle in his gray eyes.

Lady Hilda was admiring Garnet and Terra. "You named her after Zidane's planet, didn't you?"

The young king's appearance became serious. "It's always been a part of me, even after all these years. But I didn't force it. Dagger agreed with me."

Lady Hilda nodded, understanding him completely.

"She's so small…" Eiko commented as she peered at the sleeping girl.

Garnet rocked the baby back and forth. "Open your eyes, Terra." She looked at Eiko, then smiled. "Have a look at your Aunt Eiko."

"Aunt Eiko?" The summoner repeated, her eyes widening. Then they turned thoughtful. "Aunt Eiko. I like that."

* * *

Terra's parents kept their vow to raise a child who knew of the world. For her first birthday, and more birthdays after that, Zidane and Garnet took her to different parts of Gaia, determined not to let her be the canary her mother had fought to subdue, and succeeded to become free.

Freya Crescent was a dragon knight, but her feminine side revealed itself when she gazed at the Alexandrian princess. The Alexandrian royal family visited Burmecia for the princess's first birthday. "She's grown bigger, I can see that," Her tone was mild, but her eyes betrayed her, and Garnet pointed it out.

Sighing, Freya opened up to her. "I envy you, your Majesty."

"Freya, it's Dagger." Garnet reassured her friend. She frowned in thought. "About Fratley. Is there something…?"

A slight smile appeared on the female knight's face at the mention of her lover. "We have decided to finish our affairs before quietly settling down." She looked away. "Dragon knights have important duties in the Burmecian kingdom."

The royal castle of Burmecia was rebuilt in all its glory, and maybe even surpassing its former construction. Murals of the rat people's legends covered the ten-foot-high walls of the corridors. Sensing the slight pain at Freya's words, Garnet was apprehensive about the whole place. It didn't seem right that she always put duty first.

"I hope you don't mind then, Freya," Garnet said in a soft voice, "I made you one of Terra's godmothers."

"Really now," Freya pushed the hood back to look at the queen. "That wasn't necessary."

But she had a smile on her face.

* * *

"You can't be _serious_."

A distinguished-looking gentleman stared incredulously, after hearing the king's reason for refusing his offer. "I know my wife. She will make a very good nurse for the princess."

Zidane was sitting comfortably at his throne, a bit too comfortably for the average king. He was not staring at the window out of disrespect for the man, but because he was thinking. His tail swished, unintentionally distracting his companion.

"I've never been known as _serious_, Gemini. But I know Lady Rosette, and I have no qualms about her abilities to raise my daughter." Zidane cleared his throat. "You know, if the General didn't have too many of her so-called duties to Alexandria, she would be my first choice. But since Beatrix's not available, and I've told you already, Dagger and I have chosen the next-best nurse." He sighed in exasperation.

"Not…_that_." Lord Gemini shuddered, then quickly straightened himself to Zidane's raised eyebrow. "I mean…I thought you were raising a princess."

"An _well-rounded_ princess, remember that." Zidane corrected stiffly.

"Fine, fine, your Majesty." The noble shrugged. "At least Quina Quen should be able to make a gourmet cook out of your daughter."

* * *

No other child in Gaia was as fascinated with chocobos as the Princess Terra of Alexandria. She instantly fell in love with the large yellow birds with beaks upon first sighting them, when she was of five years already and her beloved mother and father took her to a far-off place on her birthday.

There, she had to meet relatives first. Aunt Mikoto was there to greet them, giving her a warm hug and a quiet "Happy Birthday". Terra thought that Aunt Mikoto looked a lot like her father, except that she had green eyes. They even had the same furry tail, that Terra knew was off-limits to play with.

"I didn't know - you didn't say you were coming." Mikoto was saying to Zidane, her father. Her face was placid, yet her eyes shone with unspoken happiness.

"It was a surprise," he replied. "I've been planning to go to Magdalene Village as soon as Terra could take intercontinental trips. So far, we've been to Burmecia, Lindblum, Dali, and Treno."

Garnet, her mother, kept such a strong grasp on Terra's arm, to keep her from running away. Terra fidgeted, trying to wriggle out of it. There were so many things for her to see, so many things for her to touch!

One of those pointy-hats she had been seeing since she arrived ruffled her hair. She squirmed, but didn't stop pulling on her mother's arm.

"Here you go, your Highness." He handed her a lollipop.

"Thank you, Mister!" She replied. The man's eyes glowed. The pointy-hats were funny creatures. She couldn't see their faces, only their eyes.

They started walking down the path, her parents and Aunt Mikoto still talking. She began to lick the lollipop, wondering when would she be allowed to play.

And then, she saw it.

A group of children, a mixture of tawny-haired and pointy-hats, were laughing as they rode on the yellow thing. It bobbed its head, happy to have someone playing with it. The beak was a bit frightening, but Terra couldn't help feeling somehow drawn to it.

The thing opened its beak and squawked, "Kweh!"

"A bird!"

She found herself out of her mother's grasp and running towards it.

"Terra, come back here!" Her mother called out. But she couldn't stop. A fence was there to block her way, though.

Grasping the edge, she tried to pull herself up.

"Your daughter seems determined to defy you," Mikoto quipped.

"Terra, _no_!" Garnet cried and tried to run after her daughter, but Zidane grabbed her arm.

"It's just Bobby Corwen, Dagger." He looked towards the field where Terra was now playing with the other children and the chocobo. "Besides, she needs other people to play with."

Garnet sighed. "I worry too much, don't I?"

Zidane laughed and held his wife close. "Well, that's what I love about you." He received a punch for his affections. "Ow."

* * *

Since that fateful day, Terra was to be known as a chocobo-phile, if there was such a word.

"I'm sorry dear, but we can't take Bobby Corwen with us. He belongs to them." Zidane explained carefully inside the royal airship.

"Then could you buy me one? Please please please, father?" She pleaded, leaning on the arm of her seat, almost reaching his lap.

"I'd buy you one, yes…"

Her eyes brightened, then the light flickered out when he finished, "…if only I knew where to look. Chocobos are really rare."

Terra flopped back at her seat. Garnet patted her head. "If ever Bobby Corwen gets a mate, we'll ask for a chocobo egg," she reassured her.

It was late at night by the time they arrived back at Alexandria Castle. Terra jumped off, but the cold air blasted in her face, making her shiver. She fought the cold and turned to her mother. "I'm going to see Doctor Tot, okay?"

"No, Terra." Garnet had a disapproving tone. "Let the doctor sleep now."

"But I want to ask him about chocobos!" She protested. Life was so unfair.

"Tomorrow, perhaps." Garnet faced back to the porters, telling them where to drop off their luggage. Terra wanted to sulk, but knew her mother didn't like that. She looked up to see a clear night sky and a full moon sympathizing with her.

* * *

"Have you ever cooked a chocobo?" Legs dangling, Terra sat on the edge of a kitchen counter immediately after breakfast.

Quina shook her head. "Have not done that. Wash the dishes, please." As head cook, she could order any one of the assistant cooks. The one she pointed to immediately dusted his hands on his apron and followed.

The Qu couldn't be described as normal, but to Terra, she was a rock in her life. The princess had known Quina since she was three years old. When she wasn't with her tutor Doctor Tot, she could be found spending time in the kitchen. Quina did not allow her, though, to ask food when it was not the time for meals.

"How do you make it taste so good, Quina?" she had asked her nurse one time. The Qu waggled her tongue before answering, which Terra found very amusing.

She would never forget the response, though: "Good food comes from the heart."

Terra watched the people in the kitchen hurry to do Quina's bidding. Her dark hair was cropped close to her chin. When it wasn't combed properly, it covered her blue, almond-shaped eyes. Quina told her once that her eyes made her look like a cat. It was funny, she added. Her father also looked like a cat.

"But how come my father has a tail?" She asked then.

Quina shrugged. "Zidane have cat-shaped eyes. Maybe part of it."

* * *

Of course, a girl couldn't have her life revolve around birds or the kitchen. The Alexandrian princess also enjoyed other things. In spring, she waited for the flowers to bloom at Brahne's Garden. Accompanied by Quina, she could roam around the Alexandrian town at her will and watch plays in the minitheatre. In summer, the lake was her favorite place to swim in. It was also a nice place to skate in winter. Best of all things was her father and mother spending time with her in these activities.

Unlike her mother though, one of Terra's passions was reading. Doctor Tot was absolutely grateful for this, for it made his teachings a lot easier. As expected, Terra's favorite book was an encyclopedia volume about chocobos. She had practically worn the book out, reading every leaf about a hundred times. Her mother allowed for the book to be taken out of the library and into Terra's bedroom.

"_There are many kinds of chocobos, each with its own ability and color_," the book stated. Pictures of each kind of chocobo known - yellow, aqua, red, blue, and the radiant gold - encompassed its pages.

"_The yellow chocobo is the most abundant kind of chocobo there is. Even if a different kind of chocobo lays eggs, its offspring will always be a yellow chocobo. This chocobo, when trained, can run great distances over fields and plains_."

"Bobby Corwen is yellow," she thought. "They haven't been training him!"

"_Chocobos that can travel over shallow water are aqua in color. They can cross rivers and can proceed farther from beaches into reefs. Much patience is required to train a yellow chocobo to aqua, because chocobos are afraid of deep water_."

"_Red chocobos are a hardy kind, since these chocobos can journey over mountains. Their claws grip rocks and dig deep into soil, making it easy for them to climb obstacles. Chocobos that are trained for the mountains usually develop the red color because of the exposure to sunlight_."

"_The swimming chocobo is of a deep blue shade. They can travel over deep water, and when trained properly, great leagues. If you have trained a blue chocobo, consider yourself a patient person_."

Terra turned to the next page, and her breath caught suddenly. On the double-spread, a picture of a flying gold chocobo greeted her. The brilliance of its feathers was utterly stunning.

"_The rarest kind there is, the gold chocobo brings the ability to fly to its owner. The feathers of this bird have genuine gold sheen. Although slower than modern airships, riding gold chocobos does not bring any harm to the atmosphere. This chocobo can only take off and land in a forest_."

She sighed aloud. "I wish I had a gold chocobo," She looked down at the page again. "Or even just _any_ chocobo!"

Terra would only be getting her wish after a few years.

* * *

"_Long ago, numerous chocobos could be found everywhere. Today, the gradual extinction of chocobos remains a mystery. The remaining ones stayed in three different places across Gaia: Chocobo's Forest, Chocobo's Lagoon, and Chocobo's Air Garden_."

"_Chocobo's Forest was the first to be discovered, overflowing with yellow chocobos. It can be found in King Ed Plains, between Lindblum and Qu's Marsh_."

"_Chocobo's Lagoon could only be reached then by those who had trained their chocobos. It is a small cove on one of the islands near Daguerreo, the library capital of Gaia. Today modern airships can reach the island that contains it, but only at the expense of the number of chocobos_."

"_Chocobo's Air Garden traverses the skies of Gaia. The two floating islands cast a great shadow in any of five places. Only an enthusiastic gold chocobo can get to it, or one who is fed Dead Pepper, a rare and believed to be extinct spice_."

Quina had told Terra once that she went on adventures with her parents when they were young. The world was in peril and the eight of them saved it. Terra had heard that story millions of times before, when her father tucked her to bed, and she didn't believe it one bit. How could her (she had to admit) _skinny_ father save the world?

What she didn't know was that _her father_ had trained a chocobo.

"It went into different colors too," the head cook remarked.

Zidane was in the study, looking over some papers when Terra entered it quietly. She remembered to knock, but he didn't reply so she went straight in.

"Father? You were once an adventurer, weren't you?" She questioned him timidly.

He raised his eyebrows to answer her, but was still staring at the papers.

"Well," she went around the desk and stopped beside him, "have you ever been to a place called Chocobo's Forest?" she pressed on.

Zidane nodded absent-mindedly. "Yes, I went there once…"

His daughter suddenly made a cry of disbelief which made him jump. She pointed an accusing finger at him. "So you lied! You lied to me! You do know where to find a chocobo!"

"What? A chocobo?" He blinked, not aware of the situation.

"Quina told me! She said you trained a chocobo once! And it says in my book, there are only three places where chocobos live now! So you know-"

"You're wrong," The king shuffled the papers, only to pore over them again. "There's four."

Terra's mouth dropped open at this knowledge. "What? FATHER!" she screeched.

Zidane passed a hand over his face.

* * *

To be continued

I guess I surprised even myself by rewriting this piece. I actually liked my original characters, and I suddenly wanted to let them tell their story. So here it is. Freshly rewritten, with better grammar (haha, I could not believe some of those errors), and a better plot/storyline, I hope. 

The Author


	2. Chapter 2

_Two_

The years passed, and seasons turned, as they should.

Zidane and Garnet celebrated their fourteenth wedding anniversary with a big bash, wherein they announced that they would be leaving for a second honeymoon after. For a whole month, Terra would be living without the watchful eyes of her parents. The thirteen-year-old princess of Alexandria was granted a bit of freedom.

The little girl who always wanted her parents beside her was no more.

Terra had changed, in more ways. Her straight, dark hair now cascaded down to her shoulders, and her fair skin was lightly tanned by her outdoor activities. One thing that Terra did not like was that she seemed too tall for her age. To her it seemed that she had suddenly grown overnight. When she stood next to her mother, they could be mistaken for sisters. Zidane assured her that height would be a great asset when she gained a few more years, but a teenager never believes her father.

When the king first witnessed a daughter's tantrum, which ended with the slamming of doors, he was confused beyond belief. How was he to know that revealing what her favorite bedtime story was, in a conversation with a Treno noble, was embarrassing?

"All adolescents act that way," the good Doctor Tot explained. "She's not a little girl anymore, and doesn't want to be treated like one." Zidane found himself growing further and further away from her.

Garnet, however, assured him that at least _she_ completely understood Terra. At night, the queen would visit her daughter's room, and stay for quite some time, having one of their little "girl talks". This she pointed out to her husband, "you will never understand".

The night they left, Terra kissed her mother and father good-bye, and went straight to bed, not knowing what to do after.

Yet the following day, the sun wasn't even covering the sky yet when Terra sat up in bed. Running downstairs, she passed the office, its heavy wooden door partly opened.

"Good morning, General Beatrix!" She sang, her dark head popping into the room.

Beatrix, already in uniform, looked up from the desk and smiled. "Good morning too, your Highness." The copper-colored curls of the general bobbed. "You're up early today."

She nodded in reply, then dashed to the kitchen where her nurse Quina was still preparing breakfast. "GOOD MORNING QUINA!" Terra hollered, and giggled when the startled cook almost dropped the spoon into her pot.

The princess ran around the whole castle, greeting everyone she met, from the errant Pluto Knight to the old librarian whose glasses kept falling off (and they certainly did when she yelled out in greeting.) She skidded to a halt, however, upon reaching the large arched doorway of the training grounds.

Someone, judging from the heaving sounds coming from there, was training hard. Terra took a quick glance from the side. "Captain Steiner," she called, recognizing the man dressed in full armor.

Steiner stopped mid-strike, and glanced over his shoulder. In one fluid motion, he returned the sword to its sheath, then saluted to her.

"Good morning, your Highness!"

"Good morning too, Captain." She jumped away from her hiding place. "I wish you hadn't stopped. I was having fun watching you."

"Really?" The captain's eyes shone upon her thoughtful words, and he pulled the sword out again. "I am delighted that the princess appreciates her most loyal knight's work."

The jewel-encrusted sword, heavy and broad in form, was mesmerizing. Terra spent a few moments staring at it, then blurted out, "Could you teach me how to use it?"

Steiner looked up quickly, a frenzied look on his face. "Why, your Highness! You must not engage-"

"I want to learn how to use a sword." She said slowly, half-whining and half-commanding.

"I…I…Your Highness…"

"Oh come on, Captain. You said yourself that you were my most loyal knight." Terra had to stifle a giggle then.

He quickly assumed a dignified appearance. "Of course, your Highness. I was just…unprepared for your request. You see, how ever hard I try to teach Adela, she will not yield to knighthood."

Terra looked around. "Jeane? Where is she? Is she here?"

"Adela will not carry a sword if her life depended on it." Steiner continued, shaking his head regretfully. "Just as well, she is training hard to become a White Mage."

Jeane, or Adela as she preferred to be called, was the only daughter of the Steiners. Being only three years apart, she was the closest to a friend Terra had, but they still had their differences. They were inseparable during their childhood, yet somehow, they drifted apart as the years went by.

"So will you teach me?" Terra pleaded.

The captain cleared his throat, mumbling. "I am honored, your Highness…" He eyed her uncomfortably. "But it seems I have to get a smaller sword."

* * *

Adela Jeane Steiner, dressed in a White Mage's robe with the hood down to keep her wavy, light brown hair uncovered, appeared at the training grounds soon after. "Breakfast is ready, Father." She turned her head and took notice of the Princess Terra, her small hands carrying a sword.

"Your Highness," she addressed her formally, "I did not know that you were interested in the art of fighting."

The princess shrugged. "Just for self-defense, you know." She was acutely aware of Jeane's penetrating gaze.

"Adela," Steiner called. "Has your mother finished with her work?"

"Yes, Father. Is there anything else?" Jeane negligently flipped her hair over one shoulder. The high ponytail kept it from covering her haughty countenance.

Steiner looked at Terra, then at his daughter. "Well…perhaps you would like to join me and the princess…?"

But before he could finish, Jeane had already disappeared from her place.

* * *

_THE GREATEST CHOCOBO MYSTERIES_

_Why are the number of chocobos diminishing?_

_How do the Chocobo Lands (Chocobo's Paradise, Chocobo's Lagoon, Chocobo's Air Garden) sustain chocobo life?_

_When chocobos reach a higher ability, how do they change color? And why?_

_Is there really a Chocobo's Dream World?_

_Where in the world is Chocobo's Paradise?_

"Terra, Terra."

Terra opened her eyes groggily. She had fallen asleep in the library, her head resting on the desk, the Book of Chocobos lying open in front. Quina was shaking her.

"I'm awake, Quina." She rubbed her eyes, then yawned. "What is it?"

She vaguely remembered what she had been reading before, for the dreams made it hazy. In her dream, there was a chocobo, and she was looking at it from the ground in awe. Now that she was awake, she was sure that it was the color of the chocobo that amazed her. Yet she couldn't remember what was its color. Maybe gold, for it was flying? Then the chocobo - _talked_ to her, surprisingly, and told her of many things, among them the land called Paradise.

Looking at the open book, she read the line again.

_Where in the world is Chocobo's Paradise?_

"Your parents are back," Quina informed her. "They at the Hall."

The princess tried to stand up, and groaned. Her whole body was sore. "I shouldn't have done so much training today," she muttered.

"Let's go," Quina said. They went out of the library, the book lying forgotten.

Zidane and Garnet stood at the castle entrance. They were holding hands, Terra noticed with a bit of shock. She knew her parents loved each other, of course, but weren't nobility supposed to follow some unspoken regulations on propriety? Nobody else seemed to notice, however. Nobody even took offense at the sight of her parents wearing such clothes unfit for royalty: Zidane had a vest and blue pants on; Garnet in a plain orange jumpsuit.

They looked ten years younger, Terra finally noted.

"Welcome back, Your Majesties." Beatrix was already saying, kneeling on the carpet. Steiner and Jeane were behind her, doing the same. It seemed that the whole of the castle was awake at this ungodly hour just to wait for the king and queen.

Terra was surprised to see a month fly so fast. Nothing much had changed in her daily schedule, except that she had started training with the Captain. Her parents didn't know about this, of course, and she wasn't sure if they would like her playing with swords.

"After all," Jeane coolly remarked, "a princess is a princess - she stays in the castle and learns how to act like a lady of nobility."

She let herself be embraced by her mother.

* * *

Nine months later, Kuja Alexandros Tribal was born.

Terra watched the growing crowd attending her newborn brother's celebratory party from her seat at the platform. Her neck, back, and arms itched, what with the stretch of lace the dressmaker used for her turquoise gown. She turned her attention to her mother and father accepting well wishes from some guests, when a shadow fell on her.

She looked up and saw an old man with a long white beard in front of her.

"Why, if isn't the Princess Terra."

From the tone of the old man, and the malicious glint in his eyes, she was absolutely sure she did not like him. But she wasn't one to forget her manners.

"I am. May I ask who you are?"

The old man chuckled, but it sounded more like a cackle to her. "I am a seer of Gaza at your service, your Highness."

"A seer?" She echoed. "Does that mean you can see into the future?"

"Would you like to know _your_ future, Princess?" His eyes narrowed, while his mouth twisted into a sort of smile.

Terra looked at him impassively. "I don't believe in divination much, my Lord, but you can try."

A hit. The old man's smile became a scowl.

"Just like your father," He muttered ungraciously.

"Excuse me?"

"Danger awaits you, _your Highness_, and it will find you. When it does, you will never sit in the throne."

The old man cackled again, and when Terra blinked, he disappeared.

She had forgotten about the old man by feast time.

Zidane clinked his glass with a spoon. "I'd like to make an announcement."

Gradually, the people in the hall shushed and waited for the king to speak up.

"As you all know, this is the second time Alexandria has celebrated like this. First, it was for my daughter, Terra…" Zidane smiled at the princess, making her look down at her plate, quickly, "and now, it is for my son."

Sounds of clapping filled the feasting hall.

"Before I announce his name," the Alexandrian king continued when the clapping had died down, "I'd like to know if there are any seers in the vicinity who might like to say that 'Zidane' is the proper name for him...?"

A wave of chuckles spread throughout the crowd. Terra's ears perked up at the mention of the word "seer".

"Dagger?" Zidane gestured to Garnet sitting beside him. "Would you like to do the honors?"

The queen nodded and stood up, every inch of her regal and graceful. "His name," She paused, looking at each and every face in the crowd, "will be Kuja."

This time, everyone understood the name. The silence that followed was chilling.

"Kuja?" A voice finally piped out. "Wasn't he the…"

"BLACK MAGES!" A Burmecian aristocrat bellowed suddenly. "Kuja was the bastard who set black mages on our nation twenty years ago!"

Everyone gasped as expected; Zidane held out a hand.

"Wrong." He cocked his head to one side. "It was nineteen years ago, and _my brother_," his voice suddenly raised to a critical volume, "was responsible not only for Burmecia but the near destruction of the whole of Gaia."

Terra saw her mother take her father's hand. "Zidane…" she whispered.

"I have to do this, Dagger," Zidane moved his hand away. His face was calm and determined, but he would not directly at them. "They have to learn the truth. About me."

_The truth?_ The question rang in Terra's ears.

The Burmecian aristocrat's expression was unreadable. "Your…brother?"

Zidane met their dubious eyes. "Yes. Kuja Tribal was my brother. He and I were not from Gaia, but from another planet. Her name is known to all of you."

Silence, apart from the few whisperings of some.

"Terra," A little girl voiced out quietly, looking at the princess. Terra's eyes widened.

The king nodded with a smile. "Smart girl. Kuja and I were born on Terra, and we were the so-called 'Angels of Death', Terra's helpers in clearing out Gaia. You see, our people wanted to move out of its dead planet, and we needed another place to live. Gaia was found to be perfect for our people to inhabit." He held out a hand to shush them again. "Yet it happened that Kuja and I took different paths. Fortunately for Gaia, I grew up here while he plotted against it. And nineteen years ago, we finally met…on the battlefield."

Her palms hurt, and Terra noticed it was because she was clenching the arms of her chair. First it was saving the world, and now her father, Zidane Tribal, King of Alexandria, was not from the world he was saving. How out-of-this-world could _that_ be?

"I had to fight him, together with friends of mine. Princess Garnet, now your queen, was one of them. For the sake of Gaia, I had to fight my brother…and defeat him." Zidane's voice was breaking. "I watched my brother pass away. But in the end, he finally understood how wrong he was. How being the 'Angel of Death' was a waste of his life. And now, I am honoring his sacrifice by naming my son Kuja Alexandros Tribal."

Terra watched her father closely at the end of his speech. His face was blank, and his arms lay limply at the sides, as if he were resigned to fate as how the people - his people - would judge him.

But she understood. Even if he was an alien, or from anywhere else, she would always love and accept her father.

As the people did. The applause was enormous. The people of Alexandria, Lindblum, Burmecia, Treno - everyone - stood up in ovation. Zidane's face softened, the vacant mask fading.

"Long live the king! Long live the Alexandrian royal family!" they cheered.

Terra stood up and clapped also, her heart joyful. She heard while her mother rocked her new baby brother: "Do you hear that, Kuja? They're cheering for your father. And for you."

* * *

Piles and piles of boxes filled one table of the party, gifts for the newborn prince. She was angry at it, but the twinge of jealousy was still there, as her parents and the guests fawned over her brother.

Terra was lonely. All the adults were at one side. Quina was nowhere to be seen; her nurse would probably be needed in the kitchen. Jeane was never out of the dance floor - she was quite the dancer - and right now, she was dancing with a young Treno nobleman Terra found good-looking, but only somewhat.

There was nothing else to do. Lifting her long skirt, she marched towards the table laden with gifts.

She peered over the nearest one. It was a knitted jacket, small enough for Kuja. The next one, enclosed in a very large box was a model airship from Lindblum. Yet another one had new towels of different colors.

Terra sighed. Of course, there couldn't be any gifts made for her. This was Kuja's day. Maybe she could just ask for the blue towel - he wouldn't use all of them, would he? She was about to give up the search and go back to her table, when _it_ caught her eye.

The shape. It was oblong, and was smooth on the surface. A single ribbon was tied around it. Terra had seen such a thing many times: in the Book of Chocobos.

It took every ounce of restraint to keep herself from shrieking out, "A chocobo egg!"

* * *

"You've got to keep it in a warm place." Garnet read from a page in the encyclopedia, under the section 'Raising A Chocobo'. Terra kept staring at the egg, afraid that if she took her eyes away it would suddenly disappear.

"Dagger," Zidane whined, suddenly entering the barn, "I can't make him stop crying."

Mother and daughter were sitting around a makeshift nest. Terra's parents were also delighted when they heard of the gift of a genuine chocobo egg. Perhaps somebody - they did not know who, for there was no card - had heard of the princess's longtime wish.

"Oh, you're hopeless." Garnet replied waspishly, putting the book down. "Come here and help Terra, then."

"Don't be mad at me. Beatrix's there to hold him off."

"And Beatrix is supposed to be out today."

"She _offered_ to take care of him!"

"Because you're hopeless."

Garnet left the barn in a huff.

Terra took no notice of her parent's squabbling. She sat beside the egg, stroking it with a fatuous look on her face.

"Maybe you'd like to try sitting on it. You do have to keep it warm," Zidane suggested as a joke.

Terra glared at him, and he put his hands up. "Okay, okay. It was a joke. Sorry?" He returned his daughter's answering smile.

"Tell me about how you raised your own chocobo, Father," The princess asked thoughtfully when he sat down beside her, on the nest of hay.

"I didn't raise Choco, I only trained him," Zidane said. "The moogle, Mene, was his owner."

"So you named him Choco?"

"I didn't name Choco, I only _trained_ him. There's a difference."

"Father," Terra crossed her arms over her chest, exasperated.

Zidane ran his fingers through his blonde hair, grinning at her. "Well…" he began.

* * *

Spring was in full bloom. Besides training with Steiner, which surprisingly, her parents approved (or maybe not so surprisingly, considering their own childhood), Terra also had a chocobo egg to take care of. Aunt Mikoto visited once and told her about Bobby Corwen, the first chocobo Terra saw, and how Magdalene Village raised him.

Then one day, Jeane had appeared in the barn, accompanied by her dance partner at Kuja's party.

Terra was surprised to see him again. Reddish-gold hair was brushed neatly up to his nape, and his eyes sparkled while they looked at her. A purple cape covered his doublet and light armor.

"Your Highness, this is Ashton Reginald Knight, second son of the Duke of Treno. Sir Ashton, may I present to you Her Royal Highness, Terra Alexandros Tribal, heir to the throne of Alexandria." Jeane proclaimed, her voice lilting.

Terra flushed. The barn was hardly the place for such formal announcements. She looked down at her old dress and thought of her unkempt hair. Sometimes she wondered if Jeane was just inconsiderate.

Sir Ashton smiled. It was a smile that Terra knew would have made the castle maids swoon, but not her. "Good morning, your Highness. I see that you are living up to the name of the Chocobo Princess." He did not seem to object to her appearance; rather, his sparkling eyes were glued to her face - and just her face. It made her _very_ uncomfortable.

"Thank you, sir." She stood up slowly, brushing the twigs off her skirt. She stole a glance at Jeane, who was looking gorgeous and primped as always.

"I hope her Highness will not take offense if I ask her how old is she?"

The smile was still there, and Terra faltered as she answered, "I don't mind, sir. I'm fourteen."

"Oh, yes. I remember now, I was at your party. If it is so, then perhaps you would call me without the 'sir'?" Ashton said. "I am of sixteen years. Maybe someday, I would be allowed by the king to see you then?"

Terra turned red. She knew what he meant by that.

Jeane, looking bored, saved her by firmly taking Ashton's arm. "Sir Ashton, didn't you say you wanted to see the gardens?"

A surprised look appeared on his handsome face. "Oh, of course Lady Adela." He turned back to Terra, and smiled at her for the last time. "I look forward to seeing you again, Princess."

Terra nodded mutely as she watched them leave. Her cheeks were still burning. Ashton Reginald Knight was attractive, but, boy, was he direct.

* * *

Quina received the letter that summer.

Terra knew it was wrong to eavesdrop, but she had seen the Qu crying at the corridor, running towards the study.

"I'm sorry, Quina." That was her mother's voice. Quina's sobbing made it harder for Terra to hear. Hearing those sobs, however, wrenched her heart.

"Master Quale…gone…and I not there…"

Terra's eyes widened. Master Quale was Quina's mentor, the one who taught her everything about being a gourmet cook. "Thank Master Quale!" Quina had said when Terra complimented her latest dish.

"Can we do anything for the funeral?" Zidane asked gravely.

Quina sniffed. "No…it alright, Zidane. But…I no can stay here now. Have to replace Master Quale."

"You're gonna leave us?"

_Leave us?_ The words echoed in Terra's ears. Quina…her nurse, her teacher, her _friend_, would be leaving her. Her heart stopped.

"Castle have enough cooks. Mullenkedheim make good one."

"But what about Terra?" asked Garnet.

_What about it, yes? What about me?_

"Terra no need for nurse anymore. Already grown up."

_That's not true!_ She wanted to scream. _Don't leave us, Quina!_

"I get ready to leave now. Good-bye, Zidane, Dagger."

"Good-bye Quina. We'll miss you. After you pack, come see us first."

The door opened. Terra's eyes were blinded by her tears, and she sobbed, "Quina!", flying to embrace her nurse.

* * *

She was sitting on Quina's bed, arms crossed, watching intently as the Qu put her few belongings into a trunk. Both had drained their eyes dry of tears, and Quina was now cheerfully humming an unknown, probably Qu tune.

"That's the knife I broke when I was younger," Terra pointed out. "Why are you taking it with you?"

"Because I want to." Quina rummaged through the drawers. She took out an old worn doll, its straw poking out of the cloth. It looked a bit like Quina. "You know this?"

Terra blinked. "That's…that's the doll I made you a long, long time ago!" She jumped off the bed to look at it. "It's still alive!"

"I remember Terra with this," Quina said. "Now, you." She walked to the corner of the room, and pulled out a long silver object with prongs on one end. A large fork, Terra realized. A weapon. "You remember Quina with this."

"Quina…" The princess felt her eyes welling up again.

"That my Needle Fork. I use it to save Gaia with Zidane." She waggled her tongue. "No more, because Amarant threw other forks away."

The fork was big, taller than Terra when stood upright, but it was light as a feather. Already it was dirty and rusting at some parts. She would clean it later, Terra thought, putting the fork down on the bed. Quina had finished packing, and was closing the trunk.

"I'll miss you, Quina." She said, following as her nurse pulled the trunk out of the room.

"I miss you too, Terra. Remember one thing."

"What?"

"Keep your fork."

_Keep your fork, because there's still more to follow in the banquet of life.  
_

_

* * *

_I really, really want to draw the characters but I have no talent for drawing. Hope you like the second chapter. Yes, I've merged the chapters. I hope to finish the first part with only ten.

The Author


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